Crashes affect Brown and Goss
World under 23 road race champion Michael Matthews clocked up his first win of the 2011 season on today’s stage two of the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic, overhauling Simon Gerrans (Team Sky) before the end of the race.
Gerrans rode aggressively in the criterium, breaking clear early on with Matthews but missing out on the win. “Portarlington was tough. I spent 55 minutes of an hour race up the road on the attack then finished 2nd to Bling [Matthews],” he stated afterwards via Twitter.
Matthews was delighted to get his account opened with Rabobank, although he was officially listed as riding for the Urban team in the fast street race. Another riders from that team, Joe Lewis, finished close behind, while Bernie Sulzberger (E3/Pured Tasmania) and Greg Henderson (Team Sky) were fourth and fifth.
Matthews showed strong form last season, netting a stage win in the Tour of Japan, picking up two each in the Tour de Langkawi and Ringerike GPTour of Japan, finishing second overall in the Under 23 Tour of Flanders and eighth in the Tour de L’Avenir. His best performance was on home soil at the worlds in Australia, where he picked up the espoir rainbow jersey with a superb final sprint.
Still just 20 years of age, he is regarded as having huge promise and should line out for Rabobank in the Santos Tour Down Under. Before then, he’ll seek to defend his overall lead in the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic (he’s now one point clear of stage one winner Matthew Goss) and to perform as well as possible in the Australian road race championships.
In the women’s race, Tiffany Cromwell (Honda) broke clear and soloed to a fine victory. Lauren Kitchen (Jayco AIS) and Alex Carle (Jayco AIS) were second and third, while Sunday’s winner Rochelle Gilmore (Honda) placed sixth and retained the overall lead. She is five points clear of today’s winner going into tomorrow’s third leg in Geelong.
The races were marked by two crashes, with Graham Brown and Belinda Goss both ending up in hospital. Goss was later confirmed as having fractured her collarbone, while Brown is undergoing tests to see if he too has broken bones.
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Jayco Bay Cycling Classic 2011, Stage 2
Portarlington (1.7km per lap)
1, Michael Matthews (Urban) 12
2, Simon Gerrans (Team Sky) 10
3, Joe Lewis (Urban) 8
4, Bernie Sulzberger (E3/Pure Tasmania) 7
5, Greg Henderson (Team Sky) 6
6, Wes Sulzberger (E3/Pure Tasmania) 5
7, Matthew Goss (E3/Pure Tasmania) 4
8, Leigh Howard (Jayco VIS) 3
9, Allan Davis (Bikebug.com) 2
10, Chris Sutton (Team Sky) 1
Jayco General Classification after Stage Two
1, Michael Matthews (Urban) 17
2, Matthew Goss (E3/Pure Tasmania) 16
3, Chris Sutton (Team Sky) 11
4, Simon Gerrans (Team Sky) 10
5, Allan Davis (Bikebug.com) 10
6, Leigh Howard (Jayco VIS) 9
7, Joe Lewis (Urban) 8
8, Bernie Sulzberger (E3/Pure Tasmania) 7
9, Graeme Brown (Urban) 7
10, Greg Henderson (Team Sky) 6
Blood Hyundai Sprint Ace – After Stage Two
1, Simon Gerrans (Team Sky) 8
2, Graeme Brown (Urban) 8
3, Michael Matthews (Urban) 5
Most aggressive – Graeme Brown Urban / Rabobank
Teams Classification – After Stage Two
1, Urban 32
2, E3/Pure Tasmania 28
3, Team Sky 27
4, Bikebug.com 10
Elite women:
Stage two:
1, Tiffany Cromwell (Honda) 12
2, Lauren Kitchen (Jayco AIS) 10
3, Alex Carle (Jayco AIS) 8
4, Emma Mackie (Virgin Blue) 7
5, Katherine O’Shea (Vetta Pasta) 6
6, Rochelle Gilmore (Honda) 5
7, Kirsty Broun (Virgin Blue) 4
8, Judith Arndt (Unattached/GER) 3
9, Peta Mullens (Honda) 2
10, Nicole Whitburn (Unattached/Vic) 1
Jayco General Classification after Stage Two
1, Rochelle Gilmore (Honda) 17
2, Tiffany Cromwell (Honda) 12
3, Lauren Kitchen (Jayco AIS) 10
4, Belinda Goss (Vetta Pasta) 10
5, Kirsty Broun (Virgin Blue) 10
6, Nicole Whitburn (Unattached/Vic) 9
7, Peta Mullens (Honda) 9
8, Alex Carle (Jayco AIS) 8
9, Emma Mackie (Virgin Blue) 8
10, Judith Arndt (Unattached/GER) 8
Blood Hyundai Sprint Ace – After Stage Two
1, Tiffany Cromwell (Honda) 6
2, Lauren Kitchen (Jayco AIS) 4
3, Alex Carle (Jayco AIS) 4
Teams – After Stage Two
1, Honda 38
2, Jayco AIS 18
3, Virgin Blue 18
4, Vetta Pasta 16
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Stage Two Results
1, Nathan Earle 12
2, Steele Van Hoff 10
3, Nathan Haas 8
4, Paul Van Der Ploeg 7
5, Mitchell Codner 6
6, Ryan Standish 5
7, Peter Braunsteins 4
8, Stuart Grimsey 3
9, Angus Tobin 2
10, Campbell Flakemore 1
Jayco General Classification after Stage Two:
1, Steele Van Hoff 22
2, Mitchell Codner 14
3, Nathan Earle 12
4, Angus Tobin 12
5, Nathan Haas 8
6, Paul Van Der Ploeg 7
7, Neil Van Der Ploeg 7
8, Shaun Lewis 6
9, Ryan Standish 5
10, Jack Beckinsale 5